Woodridge dedicates Gold Star memorial to Hinsdale Central graduate
On Memorial Day, the Obama Legacy Initiative honored the Gold Star family of Pfc. Gunnar R. Hotchkin, who lost his life to a roadside IED in Afghanistan on June 16, 2010.
The 501(c)3 nonprofit organization was co-founded in 2017 by former Naperville resident Sean Tenner and Fred Greenwood, OLI president.
Elected officials, including U.S. Reps. Bill Foster and Sean Casten, and DuPage County Board member Lynn LaPlante, attended the memorial dedication of a raised garden bed in the Woodridge Village Hall Plaza. LaPlante provided a musical tribute. Mayor Gina Cunningham-Picek read the proclamation from the Village of Woodridge. Gov. JB Pritzker, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood and Sen. Dick Durbin sent video tributes.
The Obama Legacy Initiative partnered with numerous organizations, businesses and individuals in this event, including the Home Depot Foundation, which has invested over $375 million in veteran causes since 2011.
Other participants included the Woodridge VFW Post 1578 which provided the Color Guard; Dr. Benjamin White, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and current member of the Naperville City Council; and Sherman Neal, a retired naval commander and current president of the College of DuPage Foundation, which provided the Honor Guard.
Woodridge Police Chief Brian Cunningham played the bagpipes. Troy Davis Jr., a senior at Western Kentucky University, was the keynote speaker.
Additional speakers included Home Depot district managers John Girves and Heather Weingart, as well as OLI Intern Ambassador Noor Chawla, and current OLI Intern Team Leader Drushya Musham.
The painted mural raised garden bed was designed and painted by local artist Rich Lo, and the Gold Star memorial was designed and painted by retired teachers Judy MacLeod and Nancy Turner, along with support and assistance from the DuPage Art League. The memorial garden bed and plantings were provided by the Obama Legacy Initiative and given to the Hotchkin family as a lasting and living memorial to their son's courage and sacrifice.